Link baiting, I have found out, is the practice of using offensive language, comments and just plain controversy, with the intention of getting lots of hits to one's blogsite. Within the Blogosphere (the buzzword for the people who blog), people are beginning to grow weary of this cheap taunting, because it drowns out all the decent blogs out there, who have actually got something to say.
This is hardly a new tactic, controversy has long been a staple of the P.R. gurus, because it is always the guaranteed formula for publicity. Max Clifford has made a fortune by endorsing the controversy of celebrities. Pete Doherty is perpetually gracing the pages of The Scum (or in the linked example, the Daily Mail), but how many Scum readers know any of his music. Oasis' phenomenal rise to fame in the mid-90's was attributed to the fact that their constant bickering was often tabloid fodder.
The internet has always been rife with, frankly, stupid individuals, who's sole purpose is to annoy, and/or waste others' time (see my post on Wikipedia's troubles for more on this). Every retarded wanker who has ever started a chain mail, please stand up. The fact that they are now diluting the blogging world should come as no surprise.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson's life has all the hallmarks of a Shakespearian tragedy - a man in a position of great influence, whose fatal flaw (either lack of self control, or his God complex) has managed to bring him crashing down to earth in a most dramatic fashion.
Nobody can ever deny Michael Jackson's influence on the music industry. His Music videos were repeatedly groundbreaking, his dance moves are still being imitated today by Craig David, Usher, and Justi-fied, his songs are still classics, and he recorded the biggest-selling album of all time. He was the biggest star in the world throughout most of the eighties.
However, the lack of a positive influence on his life, and someone who will actually say no to him, has turned him into a spoilt child, perhaps beyond help. Not even regarding the accusations of child abuse, I'm referring to his addiction to shopping, his scarily overbearing parenting (covering their faces during all occasions - not just when the cameras are on them, which would be understandable), his extreme vanity, manifested by his repeated plastic surgery, and just his apparent detachment from reality.
When you compare him to the other great pop star of the Eighties, Madonna, it is stark how differently their careers have turned out. While Madonna was always courting controversy like Jackson (which probably contributed to both their successes), her career has blossomed yet further since the late nineties, and she is enjoying more time at the top of the UK charts than she did back in the eighties.
U2 as well. Although they didn't hit superstardom on a world stage until the mid-eighties, they have also hit a new peak in their careers since the turn of the century.
Michael's story surely shows the dangers of being too popular for one's own good, while not having a grounding influence that will help maintain a grip on reality.
Nobody can ever deny Michael Jackson's influence on the music industry. His Music videos were repeatedly groundbreaking, his dance moves are still being imitated today by Craig David, Usher, and Justi-fied, his songs are still classics, and he recorded the biggest-selling album of all time. He was the biggest star in the world throughout most of the eighties.
However, the lack of a positive influence on his life, and someone who will actually say no to him, has turned him into a spoilt child, perhaps beyond help. Not even regarding the accusations of child abuse, I'm referring to his addiction to shopping, his scarily overbearing parenting (covering their faces during all occasions - not just when the cameras are on them, which would be understandable), his extreme vanity, manifested by his repeated plastic surgery, and just his apparent detachment from reality.
When you compare him to the other great pop star of the Eighties, Madonna, it is stark how differently their careers have turned out. While Madonna was always courting controversy like Jackson (which probably contributed to both their successes), her career has blossomed yet further since the late nineties, and she is enjoying more time at the top of the UK charts than she did back in the eighties.
U2 as well. Although they didn't hit superstardom on a world stage until the mid-eighties, they have also hit a new peak in their careers since the turn of the century.
Michael's story surely shows the dangers of being too popular for one's own good, while not having a grounding influence that will help maintain a grip on reality.
Friday, January 27, 2006
The Big C...
Cancer.... It is actually scary how little we know about it. It seems than every week a new study comes out finding a link to cancer with something we have taken for granted for generations. It's coming to the point where nobody is taking these studies seriously, because of the fact that they couldn't all be true.
A study completed this week seems to have finally defamed the commonly-held belief that mobile phone use causes cancer.
Anybody who actively seeks to avoid every potential cause of cancer would surely live a very stilted life. The fear-mongering that these studies cause are surely more damaging to society than the actual cancer (which, despite all the studies, and preventative measures, still seems to be thriving.) Nobody knows what to do and not to do in order to avoid cancer. Why don't we all just LIVE our lives, instead of holing ourselves up like Howard Hughes, and take our chances until we actually find out what causes it?
In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if cancer was simply a complete lottery, and every person on the planet had 1/3 chance of getting it.
A study completed this week seems to have finally defamed the commonly-held belief that mobile phone use causes cancer.
Anybody who actively seeks to avoid every potential cause of cancer would surely live a very stilted life. The fear-mongering that these studies cause are surely more damaging to society than the actual cancer (which, despite all the studies, and preventative measures, still seems to be thriving.) Nobody knows what to do and not to do in order to avoid cancer. Why don't we all just LIVE our lives, instead of holing ourselves up like Howard Hughes, and take our chances until we actually find out what causes it?
In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if cancer was simply a complete lottery, and every person on the planet had 1/3 chance of getting it.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Omagh....still a shithole...
Omagh is one of the largest towns in Northern Ireland, and is the fourth largest settlement in the western half of Ireland. It is also one of (if not the) fastest growing towns in the E.U.
So why is it one of the most underdeveloped part of the island?
The roads have been left to rot for pretty much the last twenty, while the M1 came down as far as Dungannon, and inexpicably stopped.
Omagh would be a perfect hub for a rail network in the North, with services to at least the county towns.
The hospital is being stripped from the area, even though it's geographical location is more practical than in Fermanagh.
Three of the best grammar schools in the country are situated in the town, and no doubt, if they combined their efforts more, would probably produce some of the best exam results in Britain.
If any young people harbour big ambitions, they are nearly always forced to leave the town in order to fulfil them.
The house prices are skyrocketing at an intimidating rate, much faster than even London.
Many Nationalists would point to the inaction of successive Unionists MPs for this trend, but electing a Sinn Fein MP hasn't exactly helped either - they will not even represent us in Parliament.
After Cairan Deeny had such a massive victory in the Assembly elections, he has not even had a chance to raise the issue in the house, and the next elections are just a year away.
Is it not about time West Tyrone had a representative that will actually be able to represent? Put the green/orange politics to bed, it has grown VERY old.
So why is it one of the most underdeveloped part of the island?
The roads have been left to rot for pretty much the last twenty, while the M1 came down as far as Dungannon, and inexpicably stopped.
Omagh would be a perfect hub for a rail network in the North, with services to at least the county towns.
The hospital is being stripped from the area, even though it's geographical location is more practical than in Fermanagh.
Three of the best grammar schools in the country are situated in the town, and no doubt, if they combined their efforts more, would probably produce some of the best exam results in Britain.
If any young people harbour big ambitions, they are nearly always forced to leave the town in order to fulfil them.
The house prices are skyrocketing at an intimidating rate, much faster than even London.
Many Nationalists would point to the inaction of successive Unionists MPs for this trend, but electing a Sinn Fein MP hasn't exactly helped either - they will not even represent us in Parliament.
After Cairan Deeny had such a massive victory in the Assembly elections, he has not even had a chance to raise the issue in the house, and the next elections are just a year away.
Is it not about time West Tyrone had a representative that will actually be able to represent? Put the green/orange politics to bed, it has grown VERY old.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Fortune Tellers
Listening to Ray Darcy on Today FM this morning, I heard a peculiar story about a fortune teller.
A man took his triplet sister to a fortune teller, who didn't seem to be doing very well, in that all that he was reading from her was wrong. That was until they realised the fortune teller was actually reading him, through his sister.
After explaining that because triplets are so close...blah blah...the fortune teller told the sister that she would have lots of babies blah blah...
He then said never to buy a silver car, because she would have three crashes in it, the third being particularly bad. They thought nothing of it until the brother bought a silver car, and had two crashes in it...
He now does not know whether to believe that he will have a bad crash, or just shrug it off as pish-posh.
Now, I am not going to go into whether it is or it isn't pish-posh, but I do have a bone to pick with wanting to know your future.
If a fortune teller can tell the future, no matter what you do, it will still happen (which makes his advice against buying the car slightly foolish)
if the future is your own hands, there is no point in giving your money to someone to lie to you.
Unless you want to give it to me.
A man took his triplet sister to a fortune teller, who didn't seem to be doing very well, in that all that he was reading from her was wrong. That was until they realised the fortune teller was actually reading him, through his sister.
After explaining that because triplets are so close...blah blah...the fortune teller told the sister that she would have lots of babies blah blah...
He then said never to buy a silver car, because she would have three crashes in it, the third being particularly bad. They thought nothing of it until the brother bought a silver car, and had two crashes in it...
He now does not know whether to believe that he will have a bad crash, or just shrug it off as pish-posh.
Now, I am not going to go into whether it is or it isn't pish-posh, but I do have a bone to pick with wanting to know your future.
If a fortune teller can tell the future, no matter what you do, it will still happen (which makes his advice against buying the car slightly foolish)
if the future is your own hands, there is no point in giving your money to someone to lie to you.
Unless you want to give it to me.
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